The North Carolina Collection preserves and makes available the historical record of the city and county of Durham. You'll find a wealth of materials to assist with researching North Carolina-related topics as well as several online exhibits.

Program: Understanding and Confronting Violence in Our CommunityDate: Saturday, January 25Time: 12 noonLocation: Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St.Cost: Free and open to the public

About: Durham County Library will host the Durham and Triangle Park Chapters of The Links, Inc. as they present interactive discussions for adults and adolescents on violence prevention in our community Saturday, January 25 at 12 noon at the Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St.

The forum will explore concerns around gun safety, gun violence and suicide prevention. Discussion leaders include Deputy Michael Lemay – Durham County Sheriff’s Department, School Resource Officer, and Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Chapter advisor; Dr. Tamera Coyne-Beasley, Durham County Gun Safety Team, Founding Board Member – Religious Coalition for a Non-Violent Durham, and UNC Pediatrics; Claudia McCormick, RN, MSN, Trauma Center Clinical Operations Director, Duke University; and North Carolina Senator Floyd B. McKissick, Jr. Middle and high school students and their parents are encouraged to attend as well as all who are interested in this issue. Light refreshments will be served, and door prizes will be awarded to interactive participants.

This program is co-sponsored by the Durham County Gun Safety Team and the North Carolina Child Health Research Network. For more information, contact Joanne Abel at 919-560-0268.

The forum is the first in a two-part weekend series “Violence in Durham: What Can we Do?” The second program, which will be held at the Main Library on Sunday at 3 p.m., features Dr. Simon Partner. Partner is the author of Bull City Survivor: Standing Up to a Hard Life in a Southern City, which explores gun violence in Durham.

The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. The membership consists of 12,000 professional women of color in 276 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

Durham County Library encourages Discovery, connects the Community and leads in Literacy. As a department of Durham County Government, the library furthers Goal 1 of the county’s Strategic Plan by enhancing cultural, educational and creative opportunities. For more information about the library, visit durhamcountylibrary.org.